Processing of multi-digit additions in high math-anxious individuals: psychophysiological evidence

We investigated the time course of neural processing of multi-digit additions in high- (HMA) and low-math anxious (LMA) individuals. Seventeen HMA and 17 LMA individuals were presented with two-digit additions and were asked to perform a verification task. Behavioral data showed that HMA individuals were slower and more error prone than their LMA peers, and that incorrect solutions were solved more slowly and less accurately than correct ones. Moreover, HMA individuals tended to need more time and commit more errors when having to verify incorrect solutions than correct ones. ERPs time-locked to the presentation of the addends (calculation phase) and to the presentation of the proposed solution (verification phase) were also analyzed. In both phases, a P2 component of larger amplitude was found for HMA individuals than for their LMA peers. Because the P2 component is considered to be a biomarker of the mobilization of attentional resources towards emotionally negative stimuli, these results suggest that HMA individuals may have invested more attentional resources both when processing the addends (calculation phase) and when they had to report whether the proposed solution was correct or not (verification phase), as compared to their LMA peers. Moreover, in the verification phase, LMA individuals showed a larger late positive component (LPC) for incorrect solutions at parietal electrodes than their HMA counterparts. The smaller LPC shown by HMA individuals when verifying incorrect solutions suggests that these solutions may have been appeared more plausible to them than to their LMA counterparts

Less precise representation of numerical magnitude in high math-anxious individuals: An ERP study of the size and distance effects

Numerical comparison tasks are widely used to study the mental representation of numerical magnitude. In study, event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded while 26 high math-anxious (HMA) and 27 low math-anxious (LMA) individuals were presented with pairs of single-digit Arabic numbers and were asked to decide which one had the larger numerical magnitude. The size of the numbers and the distance between them were manipulated in order to study the size and the distance effects. The results showed that both distance and size effects were larger for the HMA group. As for ERPs, results showed that the ERP distance effect had larger amplitude for both the size and distance effects in the HMA group than among their LMA counterparts. Since this component has been taken as a marker of the processing of numerical magnitude, this result suggests that HMA individuals have a less precise representation of numerical magnitude

Attentional bias in high math-anxious individuals: evidence from an emotional Stroop task

Attentional bias towards threatening or emotional information is considered a cognitive marker of anxiety, and it has been described in various clinical and subclinical populations. This study used an emotional Stroop task to investigate whether math anxiety is characterized by an attentional bias towards math-related words. Two previous studies failed to observe such an effect in math-anxious individuals, although the authors acknowledged certain methodological limitations that the present study seeks to avoid. Twenty high math-anxious (HMA) and 20 low math-anxious (LMA) individuals were presented with an emotional Stroop task including math-related and neutral words. Participants in the two groups did not differ in trait anxiety or depression. We found that the HMA group showed slower response times to math-related words than to neutral words, which constitutes the first demonstration of an attentional bias towards math-related words in HMA individuals

Reactive Recruitment of Attentional Control in Math Anxiety: An ERP Study of Numeric Conflict Monitoring and Adaptation

This study uses event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to investigate the electrophysiological correlates of numeric conflict monitoring in math-anxious individuals, by analyzing whether math anxiety is related to abnormal processing in early conflict detection (as shown by the N450 component) and/or in a later, response-related stage of processing (as shown by the conflict sustained potential; Conflict-SP). Conflict adaptation effects were also studied by analyzing the effect of the previous trial"s congruence in current interference. To this end, 17 low math-anxious (LMA)and 17 high math-anxious (HMA) individuals were presented with a numerical Stroop task. Groups were extreme in math anxiety but did not differ in trait or state anxiety or in simple math ability. The interference effect of the current trial (incongruent-congruent) and the interference effect preceded by congruence and by incongruity were analyzed both for behavioral measures and for ERPs. A greater interference effect was found for response times in the HMA group than in the LMA one. Regarding ERPs, the LMA group showed a greater N450 component for the interference effect preceded by congruence than when preceded by incongruity, while the HMA group showed greater Conflict-SP amplitude for the interference effect preceded by congruence than when preceded by incongruity. Our study showed that the electrophysiological correlates of numeric interference in HMA individuals comprise the absence of a conflict adaptation effect in the first stage of conflict processing (N450) and an abnormal subsequent up-regulation of cognitive control in order to overcome the conflict (Conflict-SP). More concretely, our study shows that math anxiety is related to a reactive and compensatory recruitment of control resources that is implemented only when previously exposed to a stimuli presenting conflicting informatio

Rubrics use and in-class feedback in higher education: Students’ perceptions and their effect on academic achievement

[EN] This study examines students’ views regarding two types of feedback: that obtained through rubrics and that given by the class tutor (rubrics and in-class feedback, respectively). We constructed an ad hoc questionnaire to assess students’ perceived usefulness of both types of feedback. The sample comprised 135 undergraduates from the University of Barcelona who were enrolled in a Research Designs course as part of the degree in Psychology. On almost all the questionnaire items the percentage of positive views was high for both types of feedback, although especially for in-class feedback. As for academic achievement, we observed no statistically significant differences between those students who only used rubrics, those who attended feedback classes and those who received both types of feedback. However, the latter left fewer questions unanswered in the multiple-choice exam, as compared with their peers who only used rubrics. Finally, those students who felt that the use of rubrics and feedback classes had helped them feel less anxious about exams obtained higher grades.Bono, R.; Núñez-Peña, M.; Suárez-Pellicioni, M. (2017). Rubrics use and in-class feedback in higher education: Students’ perceptions and their effect on academic achievement. En Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 338-346. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD17.2017.5198OCS33834

Abnormal Error Monitoring in Math-Anxious Individuals: Evidence from Error-Related Brain Potentials.

This study used event-related brain potentials to investigate whether math anxiety is related to abnormal error monitoring processing. Seventeen high math-anxious (HMA) and seventeen low math-anxious (LMA) individuals were presented with a numerical and a classical Stroop task. Groups did not differ in terms of trait or state anxiety. We found enhanced error-related negativity (ERN) in the HMA group when subjects committed an error on the numerical Stroop task, but not on the classical Stroop task. Groups did not differ in terms of the correct-related negativity component (CRN), the error positivity component (Pe), classical behavioral measures or post-error measures. The amplitude of the ERN was negatively related to participants" math anxiety scores, showing a more negative amplitude as the score increased. Moreover, using standardized low resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) we found greater activation of the insula in errors on a numerical task as compared to errors in a nonnumerical task only for the HMA group. The results were interpreted according to the motivational significance theory of the ERN

Gender Differences in Test Anxiety and Their Impact on Higher Education Students’ Academic Achievement

AbstractTest anxiety has detrimental effects on the academic performance of many university students. Moreover, female students usually report higher levels of test anxiety than do their male peers. The present study examined gender differences in test, trait, and math anxiety among university students, as well as differences in their academic achievement. Participants were 168 students from the University of Barcelona, all of whom completed measures of test anxiety, math anxiety, and trait anxiety. They were also asked about their expected level of anxiety when faced with four specific test situations: multiple-choice, open-question, oral presentation, and an exam involving calculations. At the end of the course in which they were enrolled, students were assessed through a multiple-choice and an open-question exam. Compared with their male counterparts, female students reported higher levels of test, math, and trait anxiety, as well as greater expected anxiety in three of the four test situations considered. However, females did not show lower academic achievement than male students in either the open-question or the multiple-choice exams. These results are discussed in terms of gender differences in socialization patterns and coping styles

Errores numéricos: ¿Cómo afectan a las personas con ansiedad matemática?

¿Cómo responde el cerebro de una persona con ansiedad a las matemáticas? Nuestro estudio muestra que los estudiantes con mucha ansiedad hacia las matemáticas presentan un componente llamado negatividad asociada al error (NAE) de mayor tamaño que aquellos con poca ansiedad. Esta diferencia emerge en errores en tareas numéricas, lo que sugiere que las personas con alta ansiedad son hipersensibles a la comisión de estos errores. Este hallazgo aporta nuevo conocimiento sobre las bases cerebrales de la ansiedad hacia las matemáticas y sugiere que esta hipersensibilidad al error numérico podría ser un factor determinante tanto en el origen como en el mantenimiento de esta ansiedad

Feedback docente: un factor asociado a la reducción del efecto negativo de la ansiedad a las matemáticas

Podeu consultar la Vuitena trobada de professorat de Ciències de la Salut completa a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/66524El objetivo de este estudio fue implementar y evaluar la eficacia de un sistema de evaluación formativa en la asignatura Diseños de Investigación del grado de Psicología de la Universidad de Barcelona. Con este sistema los estudiantes realizaban una serie de pruebas a lo largo del semestre de las que recibían un feedback personalizado, con el objetivo de que los estudiantes corrigieran sus errores y a la vez aprendieran de ellos. Esperábamos que este sistema fuese útil para todos los estudiantes, pero especialmente para aquellos que tenían un nivel elevado de ansiedad a las matemáticas. Esos estudiantes tienen problemas para demostrar sus competencias en el sistema de evaluación tradicional por la tensión inherente a los exámenes, por lo cual esperábamos que la evaluación formativa les permitiese mostrar las competencias reales que habían alcanzado a lo largo del curso. Para evaluar la utilidad de nuestro sistema de evaluación formativa recogimos información de 166 estudiantes voluntarios durante el curso 2012-13: sus notas, su puntuación en ansiedad a las matemáticas (ansiedad a exámenes de matemáticas, a tareas numéricas y a cursos de matemáticas) y sus actitudes hacia las matemáticas (disfrute, autoconfianza y motivación). Se calcularon las correlaciones entre el rendimiento y la ansiedad y actitudes hacia las matemáticas y ninguna fue significativa. Al comparar estos datos con los que obtuvimos en el curso 2010-11, pudimos comprobar cómo, en aquel curso, las correlaciones sí que fueron significativas (Núñez-Peña et al., 2013), es decir, que niveles elevados de ansiedad matemática y las actitudes negativas hacia las matemáticas estaban relacionas con la obtención de notas bajas en el examen. Estos resultados sugieren que el hecho de dar feedback de los errores habría podido ayudar a los estudiantes con ansiedad a las matemáticas a ganar confianza en su capacidad para aprender la asignatura, reduciendo el impacto negativo de la ansiedad matemática sobre el rendimiento

Evaluación Formativa en Educación Superior: Impacto en Estudiantes con Ansiedad a las Matemáticas

AbstractOur objective was to implement and evaluate a formative assessment system in a mandatory course of the degree in Psychology. With this system, students received feedback from the tests they performed. We found a positive correlation between feedback classes’ attendance and students’ grades. The correlation between math anxiety and course's performance was not significant, suggesting that feedback could have helped to reduce the negative impact of math anxiety on performance